Vending machine



13, 192 May 4 (3 MAY VENDING MACHINE Fil ed Nov. 6, 1918 2- $hem.ts-'-Sheet 1 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES CHARLES MAY, or new BRITAIN, connnorrcu'r.

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed November 6, 1918. Serial No. 261,348.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, CHARLES MAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Vending Machine, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to the class of de vices above named, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a machine of this class that shall be extremely simple in construction and simple and effective in operation.

One form of vending machine embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a vending machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is. a View in vertical section through the same generallyon plane denoted by dotted line 2-2 of Figure 1, this plane being diverted enough to pass longitudinally through the coin chute.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the cover removed and withparts broken away to show construction, the point of view being 'illustratedby the dotted line 3-3 of Figure 2 and the standard and base being omitted.

Figure 4 is a view of a part of the receptacle on enlarged scale. I

Figure 5 is a detail viewin section on plane denoted by dotted line '5-5 of Figure 1, parts at the back being omitted.

Figure 6 is a detail view, scale enlarged, illustrating the mouth of the coin chute and the coin carrier. 1

Figure 7 is a detail view illustrating the mechanism for denoting the number of articles to be obtained for a coin.

My improved vending machine is not limited in the nature of its use and maybe employed for vending merchandise or articles of various descriptions, but, as I have found it particularly useful for vending matches put up in the so called book-form I have illustrated and described my invention herein as embodied in a machine constructed to receive such packages of matches or articles of a similar nature, which machine comprises a case 10 mounted on a standard 11 rising from a base 12. Theseparts may be constructed of any suitable material preferably sheet metal, bent to proper form and about.

they may be of, any desired form or shape in cross section. As shown herein the case is round and it is mounted onthe standard in aninclined position, the exactangle of such inclination not being of extreme importance, an angle of approximately fortyfivedegrees having been found by me to produce the best results. The standard has a recess 13 opening to the front into which the articles fall when released from the case and through which opening they may be obtained. A coin chamber 14: is formed in the back part of the standard, the bottom of this chamber preferably sloping rearwardly to cause the coins to slide outwardly from the chamber when the door 15 is opened.

A receptacle 16 is rotatably mounted in the case, preferably upon a post 17 secured to the bottom of the case in any suitable manner, as herein shown a nut fitting the threaded end of the postbeing employed. This receptacle comprises a drum 18 having plates extending radially therefrom, and forming pockets 19 radially disposed there- The plates extend nearly to the inner surface of the wall of the case and as herein shown they are formed in pairs, each pair of plates comprising a piece of metal bent into U-shape as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The drum incloses an inner chamber 20 at the center of the case and an indexing plate 21 is secured within the outer end of said drum and at the mouth of said chamber. This indexing plate has indexing slots 22, equal in number to the pockets 19, said slots being preferably disposed in radial lines.

A detent lever 23 is pivotally mounted on a support 24- secured to the bottom of the case and rising therefrom, said support having a coin table25 at its upper end. The detent lever is mounted underneath said table and has a detent-26 projecting through an opening in the table and into the indexing slots 22. A trip 27 also projects from the lever tl' rough an opening in said'table into the path of movement of a coin inserted through a coin slot 28 through a cover 29 of the case. The trip 27 is beveled on its upper edge, against which beveled surface a coin rest-s when inserted through said coin slot.

A discharge opening 30 is formed through the bottom of the case, this opening being of a width approximately that of the pockets 19.

A coin discharge opening 31 is formed through the table 25 at a point near the trip 27, and a coin chute 32 extends from said coin discharge opening to the chamber 14; A coin carrier 33 is pivotally attached to the under side of the cover 29, this carrier having a coin opening 34 for the reception of a coin deposited in the slot 28. The carrier is held at one limit of its play as by means of a spring 35. An actuating knob 36 projects from the carrier through a slot in the dover to the outside thereof and a thumb or finger rest 37 is secured to the cover and serves as a support for the finger or thumb in the operation of the device, which, thus far described, is as follows:

The pockets in the carrier being filled with books of matches, say two to a pocket, and the case being closed, a coin is deposited in the coin slot 28, said coin dropping through said slot and resting in a coin recess 53 in. the carrier 33, the lower edge of said coin resting upon the upper end of the trip 2"?" or the upper surface of the table close-.to said trip. In this position of the parts the detent 26 holds the receptacle against rotation. When the coin has been thus de posited the thumb, of the right hand if used, is placed against the rest 37 and the fore finger against the knob 36. Pressure now applied to the knob will force the carrier towards said rest, carrying the coin with it and sweeping it across the beveled upper end of the trip, the coin being held from outward movement by contact with the top of the recess 53 in the carrier in which it is located. The trip is thus forced downward, disengaging the detent 26 from the indexing slot 22 which it occupies at that time, one edge of said detent being beveled to facilitate movement of the receptacle after the detent has been moved downwardly to a proper extent, at which time the edge of a slot 22, may come in contact with said beveled surface, and force the detent and itslever downwardly far enough to permit the receptacle to rotate to the proper degree.

This rotation of the receptacle is caused by the carrier 33 through the medium of the coin located in one of theslots 22, the coin thus acting to trip the detent and to move the carrier. 'VVhen the coin is disengaged from the trip the detent 26 will be in positionv to engage the next succeeding slot in theflindexing plate and the coin will drop through the coin discharge opening 31. When therece'ptacle has reached this position a pocket containing packages will be located directly over the opening 30 through. which opening the packages will fall into the recess 13.

Thecoincarrier, in the structure herein shown, comprises a base including two plates 38.39, each of which has an overturned lip, said lips 4041 being spaced apart to permit the entrance of a coin between them. These lips have flanges 42%?) at opposite ends, said flanges being bent backwardly and the flanges 42 on the lip 40 being located outside of and resting against the flanges 43. The plates 38 and 39 and the flanges and lips may be secured together in any suitable manner, as by electric welding. The plate 38 rests against and slides in contact with the under surface of the coverv 29. The opening 34- extends only partially across the plate, the uncut portion of the plate serving as the top of the coin recess 53 in the carrier within which the coin is located when the carrier is moved, the coin dropping through the opening 34: and then, by reason of the inclined position of the parts, rolling into the recess, as shown in Figure 2 of the draw ings. As the coin is swept along the inclined surface of the trip 27 it will be pressed against the top of the recess 53, which being a part of the carrier and moving with it, will avoid any sliding action of the coin at its upper edge on a stationary part.

As a means for preventing the insertion of a coin when there are no packages in the pockets in'the receptacle, I provide a guard that will be moved at the proper time under the coin slot and prevent the insertion of a coin. In the structure herein shown this guard consists of a finger 4:4 projecting from a ring 4-5 secured to the indexing plate 21 and rotating therewith. In adjusting the machine for use, after the pockets have all been filled with packages to be vended, the receptacle will be located with the finger 44 one step in advance of the coin slot 28, and in the position shown in Figure 4. In the successive step-by-step movements of the receptacle, to permit packages to be removed therefrom, when said finger reaches a position underneath the coin slot, the, insertion of a coin will be prevented and the purchaser will not, therefore, be subjected to loss of his coin without obtaining value therefor, as it will project as shown in dotted outline in Figure 2, so that it may be removed from the slot 28.

My improved machine is especially adapted for vendinggoods in variable quan tities, in the structure herein shown the pockets being capable of receiving one, two, three or tour packages, either number of which it may be desired to vend for a single coin, a pocket being entirely emptied of its goods in each step-by-step movement of the receptacle. In order to denote to the purchaser the amount of goods that may be obtained for a single coin I provide an indicator comprising an indicator disc 46 ro tatably mounted on the under surface of the cover 29, said disc bearing numerals, one of which is disclosed through an opening 4:? in the cover. This indicatordisc may be rotated in any suitable manner to display that numeral to indicate the number of packages to be obtained for the deposit of a coin.

In order to provide for a free sliding movement of the packages, as the receptacle is rotated, and hence a minimum amount of friction to the movement of the latter, I employ ribs 48 on the floor of the case and upon which the packages 52 rest and along which they move as the receptacle is to tated.

As a means of firmly supporting the cover 29 a recess 49 is formed therein at or near its center into which the post 17 extends and if desired the post 1'? may be extended through an opening in the bottom of this recess and outside of the cover, such extension 50 being threaded to receive a thumb nut 51. It will be understood, however, that the extension 50 and the thumb nut may be dispensed with if desired, in which case the recess 49 will have no opening to the outside of the cover, the post 17 will terminate within said recess, and the cover will be held closed by the lip at its edge, as shown in Figure 2.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of m invention, together with the device which now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

I claim 1. A vending machine including a unit comprising a standard, a case comprising a unit mounted on th extreme top of the standard with its top and bottom parallel faces arranged in an inclined plane, said case being larger in diameter than the stand-' ard and disposed transversely on the top of said standard and overhanging it, a receptacle rotatably mounted in the case with its axis in an inclined position, said receptacle having pockets for the reception of merchandise that rests on the bot-tom of the case, and coin mechanism including a coin operated member for controlling the operation of said receptacle.

2. A vending machine including a coin carrier comprising two plates forming the base of the carrier, each plate having a lip upturned in parallel relation to the lip on the other plate to form a pocket for a coin, means for operating the carrier, means to receive said coin to be operated thereb-v, and means for securing said plates in relative position.

3. A vending machine including a coin carrier comprising two plates forming the base of the carrier, each plate having a lip upturned therefrom in parallel relation to the lip on th other plate, each of said lips having overturned flanges, the flanges on one lip resting within and against those on the other lip, means for securing the two plates in relative position, and means to receive and be operated by a coin moved by said carrier.

4. A vending machine including a case, a cover secured to the case, a coin carrier pivotally attached to the under surface of said cover and comprising two plates secured together and having lips extending at substantially right angles thereto and in parallel relation to form a coin pocket, flanges projecting from opposite ends of said lips, the flanges on the lip of the plate resting against said cover receiving between them the flanges on the other lip, said flanges and plates being secured together, and means within the case to receive a coin moved by said carrier to control movement of said receptacle.

5. A vending machine including a coin carrier comprising two plates secured together, one of said plates having an opening therethrough for the passage of a coin and a covered portion at the end of said opening underneath which the coin rests when moved by the carrier, lips located at an angle to each of said plates and in parallel relation to form a pocket for said coin, and means for operating the carrier to move the coin to operate vending mechanism.

6. A vending machine including a case having a coin slot, a receptacle movably mounted in the case and having pockets therein extending in a row entirely around its periphery, a finger movably located independently of said pockets and carried by said receptaclein the case to underlie the coin slot and retain the coin in an accessible position therein, thereby enabling the purchaser to regain his coin, and an operative connection between said receptacle and finger to operate the latter.

7 A vending machine embodying a coin carrier including two plates comprising the base of the carrier, each plate having a lip turned in one direction at an angle thereto and spaced apart to form a coin pocket, each of said lips having flanges bent in another direction at an angle to the lips and secured with their flat faces together to retain the lips in spaced relation.

8. A vending machine embodying a coin carrier including two plates comprisingthe base oft-he carrier, each plate having a lip turned at an angle thereto and spaced apart to form the front and back walls of a pocket, each of said lips having flanges bent at an angle thereto and extending in th same clirection and secured with their flat faces together to retain the lips in spaced relation, the side edges of said pocket being formed by lips turned from one of said flanges.

CHAR-LES MAY. 

